“Women Empowerment” has become the new standard in the world in which we live. The day when women had to rely on their male family members for protection and nourishment is long past. Today, they stand shoulder to shoulder with men in all spheres of life and are among the world’s most accomplished individuals.
In Pakistan, women are now contributing to the growth of the economy. Nationwide, there are many women who put in a lot of effort from home and succeed greatly. These ladies are reaching new heights as they explore their talents and realise their aspirations.
Women who are economically empowered reinvest in their families and communities, strengthening the social fabric and enhancing workforce education and skill levels. This multiplier effect promotes economic growth and stability.
US Embassy Islamabad’s Counsellor for Commercial Affairs, John Coronado
1. 1. Adeeba Talat – Lok Virsa Boutique, Lahore
At the age of 15, Adeeba wed. She was just about to complete her matriculation at the moment. She has five children, is 40 years old, and has owned her own business for ten years. Since Adeeba had always loved making dresses, her mother-in-law pushed her to start creating and marketing clothing. She wanted to be independent and had a limited budget. She made the decision to establish her own business as a result, starting with crochet lace clothing.
Since the concept was relatively new and had a positive response from the general population, it gained popularity quickly. She chose to grow her business by creating clothes to sell in the market after this provided her some business confidence. She agreed verbally with a local shop owner to sell her garments by setting up shop at his establishment. This ended up being a pretty unpleasant experience. Despite selling her clothes, the cunning merchant never paid her. She wasn’t the only person who fell prey to a predatory male retailer.
She was informed by many of her pals that their modest efforts had all failed. Adeeba was dissatisfied and disillusioned, but she committed to keep running her company despite her decision to stop using this marketing avenue. She revised her plan of attack and began direct marketing by taking part in neighbourhood fairs and exhibitions. A slow initial response quickly developed into a steady flood of orders.
She currently serves a variety of customers but only produces when necessary. While she oversees designing and production, her husband handles marketing and sales. Adeeba wants to grow her company and get into the export industry. Her son’s further education abroad is the major reason she needs to make more money. She recently submitted several designs to her American sister and anticipates receiving orders from there.
2. 2. Anjum Rafi – Qashang Boutique and Heritage School System, Lahore
Anjum believes that although men still predominate in Pakistan, more and more men are beginning to see that women are capable of doing job outside of the home. About 13 years ago, after completing a Master’s degree in textiles, she made the decision to start “Heritage School System.” Within a few years, a solid reputation had been established. However, given that running a school had never been her passion, she was far from content.
She had always been artistic, and as a child she used to make outfits. This is why she chose textiles as her speciality, where she could use her imagination and achieve something more meaningful and in line with her abilities. After establishing a reputable school, she sought to broaden her company by opening a shop in 1993. It began off tiny but quickly grew.
She now focuses in women’s bridal and formal attire and will soon be exporting to a handful of overseas markets. She believes that her understanding of the industry and design sensibility have been critical to her success. According to her, this is a necessary for every businessperson in the clothing industry because it is quite competitive.
She had difficulty getting competent labour and diverse fabric materials for gowns at first, but she managed with the aid of her husband, to whom she is extremely grateful for all forms of support. Anjum is a member of the Export Promotion Bureau, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Pakistan Association of Women Entrepreneurs. She is very positive about her business and plans to participate in international exhibits and fashion shows.
3. 3. Asma Mehmood – Multani Dresses, Lahore
Asma decided to start a company when her youngest kid was six years old, in order to generate money and use her leisure time productively. She now employs 35 women and 20 men to make traditional clothes and needlework for sale in Lahore. She is from Southern Punjab, the province’s least developed region, where literacy and other socioeconomic indices are extremely low.
She ventured to create her own business despite coming from a region with strict social and cultural customs and where women’s mobility is extremely constrained. Fortunately, she had the support of her husband and family, which helped to alleviate these social and cultural issues. Asma was first afraid of travelling alone due to her lack of business expertise and literacy.
“Travelling alone is not safe for women, and you cannot find a secure location to stay overnight in other cities,” she noted, but her job required a lot of travelling. She gradually gained confidence, and her unwavering will to make her firm a success helped her stay on pace. Asma is dissatisfied with the government’s policies in general, and particularly with tax policy.
She believes that unfavourable rules and tax laws have had a detrimental impact on her firm. She may have fared considerably better if she had been able to acquire a loan for her firm from a financial institution. She attempted to acquire a loan once, but gave up after encountering several procedural obstacles and lenders’ unfriendly attitude toward her little firm.
She works at her business for over 7 hours every day on average. She believes in hard work and makes all business choices on her own. She feels that if her spouse joined her in the firm, she might accomplish great things.
4. 4. Bushra Iqbal – Bushra Iqbal Beauty Clinic, Lahore
Bushra has always interested in business since she was a youngster. She started a library of 100 children’s books when she was 9 years old and used to lend them around. “This is how I launched my first business,” she recalls.
She married at the age of 18 and flew to Germany for cosmetic treatment to remove freckles and acne. She learned about new make-up procedures as well as other ways and strategies to maintain her appearance fresh.
She was motivated by this event and considered mastering such strategies in order to establish her own firm. This prompted her to enrol in a diploma programme at Hannereuh Beauty Clinic. It was an exciting experience, and she eventually specialised in hairdos, bridal make-up, Medicare and Pedicure, Massage, and Facial procedures. She began working at the same institute after completing those courses in more than two years.
In 1966, she returned to Lahore and opened her own beauty salon at a period when the profession of a beautician was relatively new in Pakistan. She has now worked in this industry for 35 years. She did, however, confront a lot of challenges as a pioneer. “The toughest part was dealing with the traditional government authorities,” she says. She hired a space because she did not have her own to begin her business.
She had no money for machinery and equipment, so she borrowed some from her brother and worked extremely hard to make her business a success with that meagre sum. Her business was demanding, as were her family obligations.
The good news was that her family’s unwavering support, particularly that of her husband, kept her going. She is now converting her beauty salon into a beauty clinic, and she is confident that her knowledge and hard work will soon make it one of the best in town.
5. 5. Farah Yousuf – Comeily Collection, Lahore
“Doing business is a man’s responsibility.” “What is it that ladies are doing?” Farah believes that this is how Pakistani society reacts to businesswomen. Farah Yousuf married a certified accountant in Karachi when she was barely 18 years old. She moved to Lahore after her marriage to get her bachelor’s degree. Her father pushed her to establish a modest business in the garment industry since she enjoyed designing outfits for the family.
She accepted his suggestion and began her business on a modest scale, conducting exhibitions at the Hotel Pearl Continental with the assistance of several designers and under her own brand name. Soon after, the brand name became well-known, and she began selling in all of Lahore’s retail malls. She subsequently moved her firm to Karachi, where it was very successful.
In 1998, she joined the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and became a member of the Pakistan Women Entrepreneur Society. She travelled to Australia, Jeddah, and India with trade delegations in order to penetrate the export market.
However, her company was experiencing financial difficulties at the time. She had depleted all of her funds, yet she urgently need operating money. She approached a few financial institutions but was unable to obtain finance.
Meanwhile, one of her partners dumped her, and the entire firm was in peril. That was a significant setback for the company, and it took her some time to recover. Her husband and family assisted her in recovering, and she relaunched her business in February 2001. She is currently in the midst of gaining some overseas consumers, and she is displaying renewed optimism and strength.
6. 6. Nasreen Akhtar – New Lampshades, Lahore
“Running a business for women in Pakistan is like walking a tightrope since one must balance family and work.” This is extremely difficult since corporate commitments do not exempt women from family responsibilities.” Nasreen Akhtar hails from a conventional business family, as does her husband. She finished high school and married at the age of 30.
She had a natural business sense and had been working as an associate with her husband since they were married 12 years before. When her third kid entered school and she had some spare time to focus on hobbies other than home chores, she decided it was time to start her own business. She flew to England with her spouse to do a market assessment and gather ideas for export company.
Her spouse assisted her in receiving her first order for lampshades. She was overjoyed to have an individual project and accomplished it with flying colours. This gave her confidence in carrying on with her company and building on the trust she had earned with her consumer. The customer urged her to form a joint venture in Pakistan to manufacture lampshades. He also donated free machinery and knowledge to help Pakistan develop a manufacturing business.
She poured her heart and energy into this effort, but the following two years were filled with obstacles and issues for her. The connection with several government offices for permission and licencing was so time-consuming that she could only have the machinery cleared after a two-year fight. Obtaining and installing the machinery was not the end of the story, as government officials continued to cause issues.
“Those two years taught me a lot, and they were quite difficult,” she says. But she eventually got out of that rough moment. She is grateful to her husband for his assistance in obtaining orders, marketing her items, and assisting her in resolving these issues. The bulk of her current employees are female. She plans to grow her company and hire additional female employees in the coming future.
7. 7. Robina Jamil – Lahore
Robina quit her work ten years ago because her family was in financial trouble. With the support of her father and brother, she then launched a company assembling toys, plastic clips, and fake jewellery. “It was difficult at first,” she says. My family was quite supportive because we were in financial trouble and I was one of the earning family members, but distant family and friends were dismissive of me because of my unworthy contact with the male clients.
Robina had a modest beginning. She began by receiving informal instruction in the assembly of various elements of toys and establishing a small company. The most important stage was getting her first order, which proved to be a challenging chore. She recruited two ladies and taught them to advertise her items, but it was a fruitless endeavour. The fact that her staff were women posed a significant challenge in obtaining orders, since both wholesalers and retailers were hesitant to do business with women dealers.
Her staff were women, and both wholesalers and retailers were wary of doing business with women dealers. Most of the time, they questioned about the owner of the business and were dismayed to learn that she was also a women. “Most of the traders did not trust me because I was a woman,” Robina recalls, “so I had to ask my brother and father to assist me acquire orders.” They also had to become engaged in product supply since mobility for my female staff was a concern and the male dealers were not very pleasant.
The company has grown out of its infancy. I’ve now created a network on the trust that we’ve developed over the previous 10 years. Things are getting better now, partially because I’ve gained some business experience and partly because I’m acclimated to the challenges that come with being a female entrepreneur in Pakistan.
8. 8. Sobia Qadir Khan – Sobia Khan’s, Lahore
Sobia, as a young businesswoman, is apprehensive about the future of her company. The most serious threat she confronts is the uncertainty of business following her marriage. “I can’t grow my business as much as I’d want since I don’t know what will happen after my marriage.” I’m not sure if I’ll stay in Pakistan or travel overseas!” Sobia believes that there is a favourable shift in general attitudes about women in business, but beliefs based on traditional roles of women in a patriarchal nation like Pakistan remain a major impediment.
She believes that a shift is occurring, and that society in general is beginning to recognise that females are more clever than their male counterparts. In the future, this may help to debunk outdated prejudices, but progress is sluggish. Sobia earned a bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1997, as well as professional courses in fabric and block printing and a diploma in fashion design. She took part in her first show with two partners immediately after receiving her graduation.
It ended up becoming a huge success. The partners withdrew, but she persisted with high expectations and lofty dreams. Her mother was instrumental in providing financial and emotional assistance to launch and run the firm. The most sad aspect of the startup was the labour mindset.
She was irritated because the labourers took a female boss for granted because she did not exert herself much at first, but she eventually learned to cope with them. Now that the company is up and operating, she intends to grow into the worldwide market. She intends to create a stitching school for women since she is a firm believer in women making their own life. Her objectives remain in her mind, but she is concerned about the future of her firm after her marriage.
9. 9. Zeenat Saboohi – Jianney Trades, Lahore
Zeenat took the risk of establishing a sports manufacturing unit over seven years ago, and she dared to join a subject that is traditionally considered a masculine realm. She began this firm with three goals in mind: to aid the needy by providing work; to develop excellent items for export to assist the government in meeting its foreign exchange requirements; and to generate money for herself and her family.
In just seven years, she has established herself as a manufacturer of footballs, baseballs, and basketballs that are shipped to a number of nations. She established this business on her own, and her family was quite supportive of her efforts. She attends international trade shows, which are a good source of orders for her items.
She recently completed training and plans to obtain ISO 9002 certification for her company as soon as feasible. She has not encountered any special gender-related issues when promoting her items. Her sole fear is that the costs of her inputs have skyrocketed, weakening her products’ competitiveness on the worldwide market.
The majority of her items are marketed in the foreign market, and the Government of Pakistan’s Export Promotion Bureau has been crucial in exposing her to these export markets. She hopes to secure more government assistance in the form of short-term capital finance.
On average, she works 12 hours every day. She can only devote 2 to 3 hours every day to her family because she has four children. In her perspective, Pakistani society is gradually becoming more mature and responsible, and she believes that doing business has elevated her social standing.
10. 10. Zoya Aleem – Herbal Workshop, Lahore
Zoya was greatly influenced by her grandmother, a traditional Greek medical practitioner. She became interested in the plants that her grandma used to make medications.
Despite earning a master’s degree in journalism, her true love has always been working with herbs and their practical application for the benefit of humanity. This prompted her to establish “The Herbal Workshop” ten years ago. She was quite fortunate to have a supporter like her hubby.
She hails from a traditional Pakistani household, however her husband supported her throughout the process of establishing and running her firm. “He believes in me from the bottom of his heart,” Zoya adds. In response to a query about the challenges she had in launching her firm, she laments the little role that government assistance provides to women entrepreneurs.
She claimed that the process of obtaining loans from financial organisations is difficult if not impossible. She believes that even thinking about receiving government backing for a business is a waste of time. “Dealing with the authorities is a nightmare,” she says.
It is tough to become a taxpayer and even more difficult to engage with government authorities after that. Her company is doing well, and she hopes to have her own production units up and running shortly. She has been advertising her goods through various platforms and is also hosting a beauty care television show.
11. 11. Zoya Ishaq – Founder SHE
Zoya Ishaq, founder and CEO of the start-up “She,” contributes to the larger picture of a better Pakistan by giving women hope and empowering them by assisting them in connecting with the brilliant parts of their personality.
The creative businesswoman, a proud ex-KCite, celebrates femininity in Pakistan by illuminating the positive role played by women in the nation in order to encourage and inspire other women of all ages and professions. The start-up received help from periodic motivational and training sessions for women, which helped it attract thousands of users on social media.
12. 12. Sadaf Usman – For a Cause
Sadaf Usman, a former Kinnaird College for Women student studying media, developed and runs “For a Cause,” a social company that promotes optimism, life skills, and self-empowerment. Building a more tranquil, tolerant, compassionate, and powerful society is the goal of interactive discussions, training workshops, and storytelling events. Three further programmes are offered by this social media start-up: Storytelling – Kids for a Cause, Mulaqaat – Meet for a Cause, and Reading Circle – Read for a Cause.
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